Category: SHOWS

Cyber-Core: Vein. FM at the Echoplex

Danny Ryan September 22, 2022

Vein.fm’s signature blend of emotionally driven post-hardcore and ferocious metalcore with unpredictable glitchy electronic-based samples transformed the Echoplex into a violent cyperpunk apocalypse with their recent headlining performance. With the show starting at 6pm, they hosted a nearly festival-sized lineup of upcoming hardcore punk bands from all different sounds that shared a common theme of having intense, ass-beating breakdowns that inspire spin-kicks throughout the room. As hardcore punk gains more prominence with current trends, bands like Vein.fm and co-headliner Candy are beginning to break into the audiences of other heavy music scenes more than ever. If you’re a fan of punk rock, metal, or even heavier electronic IDM scenes at all, then Vein.fm should absolutely be one of the top bands on your radar. With the show starting at the incredibly early time of 6pm, the first opening acts of the night were Twist of Cain, Living Weapon, and Momentum. Each band brought their own unique brand of hardcore to the lineup, with Twist of Cain starting things off sounding raw as all hell with their lack of effects or electronics compared to the rest of the bands that evening. Twist of Cain has an incredibly down-to-earth hardcore sound with

The Sounds of Spring in Summer: Primavera Sound LA 2022

Rob Shepyer September 22, 2022

On the surface, Primavera Sound LA appeared to have an almost perfect lineup. There was something for everyone. Legendary rockers like Kim Gordon or Nine Inch Nails, extreme acts like Mayhem, exotic and rare imports like Arca, Drain Gang or Chai, young bands on the verge of greatness like Amyl and the Sniffers or Dry Cleaning, or massive millennial bands like Cigarettes After Sex and Fontaines D.C. For those who fancy themselves adventurers across the modern musical landscape, this was a necessary expedition. I checked many bands off my must-see list all in one weekend and these weren’t even the headliners. If Primavera Sound could be defined by two things though, they would be expert curation of international artists and an unforgettable set by Nine Inch Nails. related content: Stroking to LCD: This Ain’t No Picnic Prior to Primavera weekend starting, I checked out Dark Side‘s Hollywood Forever show, their first performance since 2014. It was a mind-bending musical experience, transcendent of whatever it is we call psychedelic rock into something beyond genre or ideals. With this in my rear view mirror, I had high hopes for their performances finishing Primavera’s opening day on Friday along with the rest of

Fidlaring The Fonda all Night Long

Taylor Wong September 21, 2022

Fuck it dog, life’s a risk, and hundreds of people risked going out during one of the city’s worst heat waves to catch FIDLAR in Los Angeles after a three year hiatus. Opening for FIDLAR’s sold out two-night run at The Fonda Theatre, Liily gave an all-star performance. With only one EP and one record under their belt, the LA natives still managed to draw in plenty of fans. Thursday’s show had concert goers starting a pit before frontman Dylan Nash sang the first words of their first song. Three songs in, the crowd surfing had begun. Liily’s live sound brought an aggressive edge to their alt-rock tracks that kept the crowd rowdy and ready for FIDLAR. By the time FIDLAR got on the stage at Thursday’s show, the temperatures outside were still in the 90s. Inside, things were getting even hotter. The band played heavily from their first two albums, “FIDLAR” and “Too,” but new singles like “FSU” still had the crowd moshing. The Fonda, however, couldn’t handle such a sweaty scene. By the middle of their set, Zac Carper even joked “Can somebody turn on the air conditioner? Turn off that eco setting, fool!” Security started throwing out

Photo Recap: Pink Turns Blue at Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command September 20, 2022

Post punk at Echoplex is a goddamn L.A. institution and with Pink Turns Blue performing there, the tradition is back in full swing. Berlin’s finest put on a banger of an evening, performing all their most tragic and powerful tunes. LA’s goth scene showed up and gave the band all they had in response. Photos by: Jason Murillo Pink Turns Blue

Photo Recap: Nouvelle Vague at the Fonda

Janky Smooth Central Command September 20, 2022

Nouvelle Vague delivered Bossanova jams the likes of which Los Angeles had never heard before. This French group shed new light on classic post punk and new wave songs that made them sound sexier, more romantic, and downright cooler than what the original artists envisioned. The French have always had superior style and Nouvelle Vague taught everyone in attendance of their Fonda show what it means to be suave. Photos by: Todd Anderson Nouvelle Vague

Photo Recap: My Chemical Romance at Barclays Center

Janky Smooth Central Command September 19, 2022

The moment you’ve all been waiting for is here. My Chemical Romance is touring the country and we have pictures from their show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It’s only a matter of time now until they cross the United States and arrive on the West Coast for shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco. We suggest you come to these shows and experience these epic moments for yourself. A picture is worth 1,000 words but these are priceless and every cent of the money you pay for those tickets is worth keeping memories that resemble these. Photos by: Michelle Corvino My Chemical Romance

Idol Worship: The Weeknd at Sofi Stadium

Jonathan Reyes September 8, 2022

The fires of California must have burned so strongly because inside the sprawling chamber of entertainment Sofi Stadium the sanguine moon growled, the hunter is coming to cull Los Angeles in the deep of the night, the after hour when The Weeknd rises from his artificial enclave in the ruined city dripping in light and red. For Abel to transform into The Weeknd I watched him as he had to tear his face off, a sacrifice to the red clothed maidens dotting the city stage, they stand like sentinels guarding and channeling the spirit being summoned seven floors down to the field passing through every seat and everybody. The way sound travels feels like a breathe is going through you, I felt caught off guard, I was captivated, my eyes madly fixated on on the performance. Before any of that THE IDOL trailer played and that is where I really felt the congregation vibes it was giving Honk For Jesus. The tide under control of the blood moon… The effigy of ruin under the gaze of the moon dressed as Mars. I wish I could ask him what it all means. What is he doing beneath the artistry is there

Stroking to LCD: This Ain’t No Picnic

Rob Shepyer September 7, 2022

Goldenvoice has been on a roll, especially with their Rose Bowl based festivals, hosting special gatherings on sacred grounds. These two to three day festivals they’ve been churning out have all featured incredible lineups and have allowed audiences to see numerous artists that could each play at the Greek, Shrine or Bowl all on one giant, dusty field inside a literal melting pot. From Pasadena Daydream with the Cure to Arroyo Seco with Neil Young, Goldenvoice is building up a powerful Pasadena legacy. This Ain’t No Picnic hosted artists that represented our modern rock and roll heroes like Sparks, Le Tigre, The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem, but also the cream of next crop of legends like Turnstile, Caroline Polachek, Yves Tumor, Magdalena Bay, Ethel Cain, King Woman, and Idles. Mark my words, these artists will be massive headliners in the decades to come and on that day, we’ll look back to lineups like This Ain’t No Picnic’s and be in awe of how so many huge artists were assembled on the same bill. related content: Arroyo Seco: The Nostalgic, The Timeless, and the Real Day 1 Getting to drive on the greens of a golf course to find my parking

Anarcho Surf: Osees at 1720

Danny Ryan September 2, 2022

Words by: Danny Ryan Black and White Photos by: Erika Reinsel Color Photos by: Manuel Arredondo Osees’ recent show at 1720 Warehouse embodied the rowdier side of California’s alternative music scene in its purest form. Their signature mixture of garage rock, prog-rock, surf music, punk, and noise rock is brilliantly crafted to contrast between rapidly-paced walls of sound that fill the venue with breaks of blissful psychedelia to provide moments of rest from the chaos. The sold out evening had the energy ramped up to 11 the entire show with no signs of slowing down throughout, even with the Osees’ headlining set being nearly an hour and 40 minutes long. Osees manage to be one of the most experimental live performers to grace the stage, while never sacrificing their loud in-your-face rock n’ roll energy to explore these different sounds. Although 1720 Warehouse was transformed into a rambunctious party for the evening, Osees provide this riotous atmosphere with the avant-garde nature of a fine art piece and blend these two spirits into an absolutely incomparable experience. The opener of the evening was Zig Zags, a garage punk band that bordered on thrash metal at times with their speedy guitar riffs,

Photo Recap: Rob Zombie at Fivepoint Amp

Janky Smooth Central Command August 30, 2022

Rob Zombie is a national treasure. Over the course of decades, he’s cemented himself as the king of shock and horror rock, capturing the imaginations of millions around the world with a show filled with all sorts of oddities and spectacles. Whether it’s giant monsters taking the stage or sticking to his vision of retro-radioactive rock and roll, Rob Zombie has always managed to stick to his guns while pushing his art to the boundaries. On this tour, he took on various Nu metal heavyweights with whom he dominated the 90’s rock airwaves. Mudvayne, Static-X and Powerman 5000 all shared Rob’s vision for a new version of heavy metal that featured electronics and drag racer energy. With this stacked lineup, the tour ran through Irvine’s Fivepoint Amphitheatre and demolished everyone in their path. Photos by: Tony Molina Rob Zombie Mudvayne Powerman 5000

Dissecting Slaughter of the Soul: At The Gates at the Fonda

Danny Ryan August 26, 2022

It’s not every day that you see an artist play two different sets within the same evening, especially when one of those sets is their magnum opus album being played from start to finish. At The Gates’ kick-off show of their Slaughter of the Soul 20 Year Anniversary tour at the Fonda Theater was not your average metal concert, and didn’t feel like any sort of conventional concert for that matter. Seeing the album performed in full truly felt like visiting an artistic piece being showcased in a museum, being viewed in awe from those with a deep appreciation for the work. The album is one of the most ambitious metal albums in history with At The Gates’ incorporation of classical music-esque guitar solos and more melodic elements than what was seen in death metal at the time, creating an atmospheric and immense sound that filled the Fonda for that evening. With a speedy and crass thrash set from Municipal Waste before At The Gates, the night provided an insight to the diverse range of sounds that heavy metal has offered throughout its history. Municipal Waste was an odd choice for an opener in my opinion. In contrast to the

The Outsider Scoop: Outside Lands 2022

Janky Smooth Central Command August 23, 2022

Words by: Isabella Harding Photos by: Sophie Weil Every year, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is turned into the Outside Lands Music and Art Festival, a monumental event that is celebrated by the Northern California community. As you walk into the park, you are immediately transported to another world. From live music, to incredible food trucks, brand tents, and picnic tables, Outside Lands is a full 3-day experience that leaves a lasting impression. related content: The Sound of Silence: Outside Lands 2019 The festival consists of 110 artists, 9 stages, and over 200,000 fans, accompanied with locally catered food from restaurants and food trucks found throughout the Bay Area. To add onto the wide variety of food, the festival also includes Wine Lands, Beer Lands, Cocktail Magic (which were full of unique beverages brought by only Northern California vendors) and Grass Lands, a 21+ setup for all things cannabis. Outside Lands is a music festival that thoroughly honors the Bay Area and its community. This is not only seen by the fans who continue to show up year after year, but by all the artists who voiced their personal love for San Francisco and the iconic festival in their performances.